Automobile door latch



July 22, 1930. J. B. FREYslNGr-:R 1,771,387v

` AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Filed March 6, 1928 Patented July 22, 1930 UNITEDSTATE `m'rula'r OFFICE JOHN B. FREYSINGER, OF NEW BRITAN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH & JUIDD d MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF'NEW'BBITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF "i 4 CONNECTICUT. i

AUTOMOBILE Application- .filed March `6,

i fThis invention relates to latches, and has` particular reference to latches for use in con! nection withthe doors of automobiles.

4The aim of the present-invention is to provide arlatch which is equally adaptable for use on right andlet handdoors so that, from a single stock of latches, the demandsor requirements of the'various doors of an automobile may be met. Thus, by the`present invention, the necessity to manufacture and carry a separate Vstock of vlatches for right hand doors and a separate stock for left hand doors, together with the inconveniences and diiculties experienced in manufacturing and distributing the same 'are eliminated, and the investment Land carrying charges are greatly reduced. I

A `further aim of the invention is to provide an improved automobile door latch which may be interchangeably used on right and left hand doors and wherein the conl struction is such that looseness and rattling of the parts is eliminated and avoided without the necessity of constructing the parts within `very close limits. f

A further aim of the invention is to provide a latch of this sort whichis characten ized by its simplicity in construction, its economy in manufacture, and-its effectiveness in operation. i

Other objectswill bein part" obvious Vand in part pointed out more in detail lhereinafter. i i

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter setforth and the scope of the applicau tion of which will be indicated in the ap pended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown, for illustrative purposes, one of .the embodiments which the presentinvention may take:

Figurel is a side view of my improved latchmechanism with one of the side plates of the casing removed; l

Fig.` 2 is a vertical sectional on line 2 2 of Fig; 1; and .f y Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken view taken Doon LATCH 192s; serial 110.259.442.y y

Referring to the drawings inV detail, thel casing, which may, ofcourse, be of any sui-table construction, is here shown, by way ofV illustration only, as comprising an inside plate 10, an outside plate 11 and a front plate 12. y The front plate 12may be formed integrally with the side plate 10,if desired. The plates 10 and 11are suitably tied together as, for example, byfr'neans `of a connecting sleeve 1.3 and turned over lugs `121. In the present instance, the lugs are formed integrally with the plate 11 and extend through openings 15 in the plate 10. The numeral 16 designates a latch or bolt proper which, asusual, extends through an opening 17 in thefront plate 12. The rearor inner end of the bolt 16 is bifurcated, as shown, so asto straddle and be guided by the sleeve 13.

In accordance with the present invention,

there are provided two roll-backs or levers 2O through the instrumentality of either of which the bolt 16 is adapted to beoperated.4 These roll-baclrsare symmetrically arranged with respectto the bolt; that is to say,`one is located above the bolt and the other similarly located below the bolt with their arms 22 extending away from the bolt. These rollfbacks are preferably ofidentical construction so as to reduce the cost of manufacture. Eachhas a circular portion which is swaged partly out of the plane of the rollback so as to form to one side a cylindrical boss 24 and, on the other side, a cylindrical recess 25. The `embossed portionshave polygonalopenings 26 adapted to receivethe shank or spindle of the usual operatinglever or handle 27. `The casing isso `,constructed that the identical rollsbacks 20 may be supported therein in reversed relation.

To this end, thefinside plate 10 has an opening 28 adapted to `receive and constitute a and the outside plate 11 has an opening provided Awith a bearing flange 29 which extends into the cylindrical recess 25 of the upper rollback. `The inside plate 10 has an opening with a flange `30 corresponding to the ange 29` andengaging in the recess 25 of the lower roll-back, and the outside plate 11 has an opening 3l corresponding to the opening 28 and receiving and constituting abearing for the cylindrical boss 24 of the lower rollback. The arms of the roll-backs, when the same are in the inoperated position shown in Fig. l, are adapted to engage against the shoulder provided by the front plate 12.

The roll-backs are operatively associated with the bolt by a member preferably connected to the bolt and adapted to engage the arms 22 of the roll-backs, the arrangement preferably being such that this member has a limited movement with respect to the bolt in order that, when the parts are in the inoperated position shown in Fig. l, both of the roll-backs are held between'the front plate and the member againstv rattling, Vand this result is accomplished although the parts may be made with the usual clearance or relatively large tolerances which are necessary to produce latches of this sort at pricesfat which they must be sold. This member, designated bv the numeral 35, is in the form of a fork and, for convenience, is herein referred to as a compensating yoke. It is pivoted to one edge of the bolt, as at 36, and has a lug 37 engaging in a notch 88 in the upper edge of the bolt. This notch is slightly larger than the lug so that the latter has alimited movement in the former. The endsY of the co-mpensating yoke are adapted tofengage the arms of the roll-backs, as illustrated.v

The latch, together with the parts associated therewith. is normally urged into the inoperated position shown in Fig. l by a spring which may take the form of the spring 39 shown in the drawings. Springs of other types, however,lmay be employed for this purpose.

The latch mechanism may for may not be provided with locking or stop means for preventing withdrawal of the bolt when a turning force is applied to the handle 27. In the present instance, there is shown, for illustrative purposes, a latching means which is in the'form of a lever or arm 40-pivoted o-n a stud or pin L4l and having a stop portion or projection 42 which is adapted to take in behind the yoke 35 when the lever is in the latching position shown in Fig. l.. The pin 4l, constituting the fulcrum for the lever 40, is on themedial line of the bo-lt as illustrated, a feature which is of importance in that, with the pivot solocated` certain of theflike parts can be used either in right or left hand arrangements. The lever carries a handle or pin 43 which extends through an arcuate slot 44 in the inside plate 10. A spring 45 about the stud 41 may be employed for urging the lever 40 against the inside plate. The lever has a projection or boss 47 adapted to engage 1n recesses 46 in the plate 10 so as to hold the lever in its respective positions.

It will be seen from the'foregoing descripthe latch mechanism is used on a door' which swings in one direction, the latch mechanism will be mounted o-n the door with a' given roll-back above the bolt, and when used in connection with a door which swings in the otherl direction, thev latch mechanism is invertedso 4that-that given roll-back will be below the bolt.

The operating handles 27'may be connected to eithervof the roll-backs, as desired. Owing to the play or loose movement between the bolt and the compensating: yoke 35'. this yoke will hold both of the roll-backs with substanti allv equal force against the front plate '12 which constitutes a stop so to speak, thus, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, theroll-backs are lheld against loose movement and rattling. As previously observed, the parts may be made with the ordinary leeway or clearances without introducing rattling ofthe parts.

.As many changes could be made in the above construction and many:v apparently widely different embodiments of this invention lcould beV made' Withoutfdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. t y l It is also to be understoodthatthe language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all ofthe generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope 4of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a latch mechanism, a casing, a bolt slid ablv mounted therein.` a pair of roll-backs through either of which said bolt is adapted to be retracted. said roll-backs being' symmetrically arranged with respect to and on opposite sides of said bolt, a yoke pivoted to said bolt for pivotal movement with respect to said bolt and said casing and adapted to engage the arms of said roll-backs, and means betweensaid bolt and yoke for limiting movement therebetween.

2. In a latch mechanism, a casing having a front wall, a boltslidably mounted in said casing; 'a pair of roll-backs,e'ach having an arm, said' roll-backs being symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of and at like distances from said bolt and the arms thereof being adapted to engage said front wall; a yoke 10 symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of and at like distances from the longitudinal medial line of said bolt and through either ofwhich said bolt is adaptedV to be retracted, a `yoke pivoted to and carried by said bolt and positioned rearwardly of and adapted to engage the arms of said roll-backs, a spring for urging said bolt to latching position and said yoke against said arms, means between said yoke and bolt for limiting the pivotal movement of the former, a pivot member on said casing rearwardly of and on the medial line of said bolt, and a clogging lever pivoted on said pivot member and adapted to engage Y said yoke to fasten said bolt in latching position.

4. In a latch mechanism, a casing, a bolt y slidably mounted therein, apair of roll-backs journaled in said casing and located one above and the other below said bolt, said rollbacks having identical openings at their centers of oscillation adapted to interchangeably receive the same `operating member, said centers of oscillation of said rollfbacks being symmetrically arranged with respect to said bolt` and at like distances from the medial line thereof, said bolt extending between said roll-backs and a member carried by said bolt and adaptedto be engaged by said roll-backs.

5. In a latch mechanism, a casing having a shoulder, a bolt slidably mounted in saidcasing, a pair of roll-backs journalled in said casing one located above and the other below said bolt and having their centers of oscillation symmetrically arranged with respect to said bolt and at like distances from the medial line thereof, a yoke pivoted to said bolt and having limited movement relative thereto and tosaid casing, the ends of said yoke being adapted to engage said roll-backs and hold the same against said shoulder when the mechanism is in normal position, and means for urging said bolt to latching position and said yoke againstsaid roll-backs. JOI-IN B. FREYSINGER. v i 

